She loved the way her name fell as a ragged plea from his lips, loved the way his eyes ate up the fullness of her much-larger-than-usual br**sts, the swell of her stomach. She pushed the dress from her shoulders and let it fall to the floor.

“I’m yours, Jake.”

* * *

Sophie was everything to Jake. Despite all the ways he’d been longing to take her in the past two months, he’d known going slow, easy and gentle, was what she needed as she healed from her surgery. They had forever to make their way through everything else he wanted to do with her.

Tonight, however, he could see she needed—and was finally ready for—more.

Thank God.

The air was already heavy with desire, and the promise of incredible pleasure. He loved the way her body felt against his as he pulled her into his arms. The softness of her skin, the gorgeous swell of her br**sts against his chest, her rounded stomach pressing against his hips. She was his perfect fit in every way, the only woman he could have ever dared to be completely honest and open with.

And the only one he ever wanted in his bed again.

He scooped her up into his arms and she wound her arms around his neck, laughing as he carried her into the bedroom. “You’re going to have to start lifting weights soon if you want to keep doing this.”

He pressed a kiss to her stomach as he laid her down on the bed, almost knocking over the pile of colorful children’s books on the side table. He and Sophie had a standing date at the bookstore once a week to select books for their children. He could hardly believe it, but he actually enjoyed reading when Sophie was in his arms, and he couldn’t wait for their children to be there too. The fact that his little girl and his little boy were growing inside of Sophie still blew his mind.

Jake ripped his clothes off in record time, then moved into her outstretched arms. She offered him her mouth and she tasted so sweet he had to take and take and take, even though he’d been planning to do nothing but give. He cupped her breast with one hand, her hips with the other. God, how he loved filling his hands with her, could spend hours running his fingertips over every inch of her skin. Even better was the way she begged for him to do more than touch.

His thumb caressed her breast and when she begged, “Jake, please,” against his lips, he was too close to the edge himself to make her plead any more than that.

Every time they made love, Jake gave silent thanks for the way she opened not just her body, but her heart to him. Later, he’d use his hands, his mouth, to slowly bring her to the edge—then over—again and again. He finally believed in forever.

But he needed her now.

Cupping her face in his hands, he crushed her mouth beneath his as their bodies became one. Their limbs were wrapped tightly around each other as they moved with each other in the perfect rhythm they’d always had, until he was swallowing her gasp of pleasure in a wild kiss as he fell with her over the edge.

Jake was certain nothing could be more amazing than lying with Sophie after they’d made love, with her nestled into the crook of his shoulder, her hand laid over his heart, his on her stomach. But then, he felt it, a ripple of movement under his palm.

“Did you just feel that? Did they just kick for the first time?”

Sophie’s smile was radiant, and so full of love it stunned him every time.

“Yes,” she said as she lifted her face to his and kissed him, “they did.”

Epilogue

Zach Sullivan yanked at his tie. Damn, he hated wearing ties, but he figured he could suck it up for an afternoon, considering it wasn’t every day one of his little sisters got married.

The past year had churned out a seemingly endless supply of Sullivan weddings and babies. First Chase had gotten married and had a kid on the way in a matter of weeks, then Sophie pulled the same thing from out of the blue. Even Gabe and Megan were now engaged. Only Marcus and Nicola were still slightly sane, but Zach wouldn’t be surprised if Nicola showed up sporting a huge diamond ring one of these days.

He’d expected Sophie to want a big wedding, a splashy Sullivan celebration where every relative and friend on the planet would be invited. Instead, here they were in his mother’s backyard, like so many other Sundays. The only real difference from their usual Sunday brunch was his sister’s long white dress and Jake’s monkey suit.

When, Zach wondered, had Sophie grown up? And how long would it take him to see her as anything other than the baby sister that he needed to protect with his life?

Five months pregnant, she was prettier than ever, especially in her wedding dress. He could see how happy she was, but Zach still had a hard time thinking of Jake with Sophie. Even though the bride and groom looked like the most mismatched couple on the planet—the big guy with the tattoos and the classy brunette—Zach was starting to realize that Sophie gave as good as Jake dished it out. Better, usually.

“Wanna make a bet on who’s the last one standing?” Lori asked as she handed him a beer. “You or me?”

Zach dug his twin sisters equally, but he’d always understood Lori better. She thrived on speed. Excitement. Breaking the rules. Just like he did.

“You looking to give away your money, Naughty?”

She stared at him over the rim of her glass as she took a sip of Marcus’s finest bubbly. “Haven’t you learned yet, it’s always the cocky guys who think they’re so safe that fall the farthest?”

Zach rarely backed down from a challenge. Especially not one that was this easy to win. Knowing there wasn’t a chance that he was going to fall in love with someone against his will, Zach Sullivan held up his bottle of beer to clink it against his sister’s champagne flute.

“Game on.”

~ THE END ~